News / Politics

Clinton: Trump’s anti-Islam comments being used by Daesh

Sunday, 20 December 2015 5:29 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 20 December 2015 7:27 PM ]

Democratic president candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the debate at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, December 19, 2015. (AFP Photo)

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton says that anti-Muslim comments by Republican Donald Trump are being used by Daesh (ISIL) to recruit extremists.

"He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter. They are going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical” extremists, Clinton said during the Democratic presidential debate on Saturday evening.

Trump, the leading US Republican presidential candidate, sparked a firestorm earlier this month by calling for a total and complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The billionaire businessman has cited the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York to back up his provocative claims about Muslims and their faith.

Donald Trump gestures during the Republican presidential debate, hosted by CNN in Las Vegas on December 15, 2015. (AFP photo)

Trump has also said he would be open to having a “Muslim database” in America for security reasons.

He has said that he would consider “drastic measures” for monitoring the Muslim community, claiming the US would have "absolutely no choice" but to close down some mosques.

At the debate, Clinton said, "We need to make sure that the really discriminatory messages that Trump is sending around the world don't fall on receptive ears."

Clinton’s aides pointed to an NBC News report which also noted that Trump's call to stop Muslim immigration is "being used by the head-chopping fanatics and other terrorist groups like al-Qaeda to attract recruits by painting the land of the free as opposed to Islam."

Trump’s fiery comments are even causing party rivals to step up attacks against him and some conservatives to label him a "fascist."

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